Saint Anne‘s Church

The St. Anne’s Church is a Roman Catholic Church in the Old Town of Vilnius, just on the right bank of Vilnia river. Dominating styles of this unique Church are the Brick Gothic style, the flamboyant Gothic style and the late Lithuanian Gothic style. It will definitely leave an impression for anyone. It is said that Napoleon Bonaparte, while visiting Vilnius during the Franco-Russian War in 1812, was so impressed by this church that he loudly expressed his emotions by saying that if he could, he would take St. Anne’s Church with him to Paris in his own palm.

The St. Anne’s Church was erected in 1394 and was made of wood at first. It is said that the first wooden version of St. Anne’s Church was constructed for Anna, the wife of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great. Later on wooden constructions were replaced with bricks. Some sources tell that St. Anne’s Church is made of 33 different kinds of clay bricks. The design of the church building is attributed to either Michael Enkinger or to Benedikt Rejt. However, neither of the attributions is attested by written sources.